Known systems for forming deformable materials such as sheet metal into a desired profile include roll forming processes. These involve passing the sheets through a sequence of roll sets each farther deforming the sheet beyond the profile achieved at the previous roll set. The disadvantages of roll forming include redundant deformation resulting from non-uniform strain paths as the strip passes each roll set. That leads to high residual stresses which result in product defects such as edge wave, flare, twist, etc. Another disadvantage of roll forming is that the distance between the first roll set and the last roll set is relatively large. Consequently the space needed to house a roll forming assembly is substantial particularly when forming complex profiles. Known systems using multiple roll sets also suffer from significant difficulties associated with initial alignment. A further disadvantage of roll forming is that tooling design is related to the designer's experience. “Trial and error” plays a dominate role in tooling design and alignment and for a new complex profile tooling design, this means the development time is unpredictable. Additionally a large amount of material can be wasted during the period of tooling design and alignment, which contributes to the cost of tooling development.